Gaufers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of decorative finish made by crimping or pleating fabric at regular intervals
2. Referring to patterns created through the shaping of material into raised, textured designs
3. Describing the technique used in textiles to produce ornate edges and decorative borders on garments or linens

Etymology: "Gaufers" is the plural of "gaufer," a noun for the raised, textured patterns pressed into fabric, paper or metal. The singular form is the one that carries the core meaning, so the plural simply names several such patterns at once. The word traces back to the same source as "gaufre," the French term for a waffle, whose honeycomb surface gave the idea of a pressed, ridged pattern.